This weblog was created to act as a platform for the voice of secular pro-democracy activists in and outside Iran who are struggling against the religious dictatorship of the Islamic clerics in Iran.
My favourite quote:
"Evil only prevails when the good stay silent"

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Ayatollah Boroujerdi's Support

It is now two years since the arrest of Iran's dissident cleric, Ayatollah Boroujerdi, and the brutal attack on his supporters outside his house. Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Boroujerdi, is against political Islam and wants the clerics to go back to mosques and not be involved in government. He believes clerics mixing in politics and government will undermine and damage the religion itself.In the last two years, the Islamic Republic has used all manners of inhumane torture methods to get Ayatollah Boroujerdi recant in public and beg the Supreme Leader for forgiveness, but the ailing dissident Ayatollah has resisted so far, saying he prefers death with honour, making him even more popular and saintly amongst his followers.

On the anniversary of Ayatollah Boroujerdi's arrest, I came across this footage on youtube, which shows the extent of his support and the level of devotion towards him by his supporters amongst Iran's most religious sections of the society. It is no wonder the regime fears the religious dissidents more than anyone else. Shame the men of cloth around the world have so far shied away from calling for the release of Ayatollah Boroujerdi. Perhaps those silly Quakers and Mennonites who chose to dine with Ahmadi-nejad or the American TV presenter, Larry King, should have asked Ahamdi-nejad why has the regime arrested Ayatollah Boroujerdi and killed so many of his supporters. Instead millions of viewers had to watch Ahmadinejad go unchallenged when he ranted 'Iran is the freest country in the world!' and yet this is how they treat even a high ranking Shiite cleric and his religious followers who refuse to toe the regime's interpretation of Islam.

48 comments:

its very strange that the western media hasnt covered boroujerdi yes. i think that by doing so it will show the world that boroujerdi has a lot of support and some of the clerics do oppose the political islam. but this not what the western media would like.

they want to show iran as a dynamic country when the opposition sometimes do speak (and then are imprisoned). had he been a pro west and pro isral the case would be different.

dear Pootkin,I am one of ayatollah boroujerdi women followers and i know him very well that he is most kind and honorable person in the world.he loves people no matter Iranian or which religion they have.as he says he has responsibility for serving people their rights. and he believes in sepration of religion from politic.B.Rgds.,sorena

I am one of ayatollah boroujerdi followers. he is very nice clergic. and relable person.and Iranians especially women need some one like him which is care about their rights. and can release them from society pressuer.and he is a brave person which is confronting with Iran horrible regime.thanksnader

For example the views of Ayatollah Kazemeyni Boroujerdi about freedom , is that to describe the freedom in this manner :The freedom is divine blessing that should not restrain it under each condition. When the individual freedom scratched the public freedom , would to be inform the rebellious person by education cases.By liberalism, improvement will come. Free thought cause of Anti-virus and clean the base of life. When we suffer from other creatures corral , how we can think about limitation and for the freedom create the prison. The freedom is in genes' man.

I mean, wasn't it the oppressed that eventually rose to power to become the oppressor? I am referring to how Khomeini and his followers were treated by the Shah. The way these people that have posted on this thread are talking about Baroujerdi is very reminiscent of how people were fooled by Khomeini and his dissident activities.

You pointed out the level of devotion his followers have as if to give him merit. Were not Hitler's followers devoted to him? And Khomeini, were his followers not devoted to him? Devotion is not always a virtue, and, in fact, can quite often be a vice.

Boroujerdi, Kadivar, Suroosh, and other dissident clerics are a means to an end. They have a pivotal role to play, and that role should be made clear to them: you will assist (morally and materially)in imploding the rule of the ruhaniyan, i.e. vilayit-e faqih, majlis-e khobregan, shuraye negahban, and then return to an apolitical status.

You can't be too sure of their intentions. After all, a clerical activist (who is himself meddling in politics by doing what he's doing) who is advocating the dissolution of political Islam by using Islam to foster political activism is kind of, well, hypocritical.

I have not given any merit for the devotion of the followers but merely pointed it out. Otherwise as you rightly say one can give other examples of devotion which are quite misguided.

I have however asked these questions in the post if you read it carefully:

1- Why have the men of cloth around the world not campaigned for Boroujerdi's release.

2- Why do silly Quakers and Mennonites who host Ahmadinejad for dinner not bring up the subject of Boroujerdi

3- Why did Larry King not challenge Ahmadinejad's claim that Iran is so free by asking him well then how comes even a Shiite cleric and his devout Shiite followers treated like this in the Islamic Republic?

4- As for your starting rant, Don't you think we've seen this movie before? The answer is no, I don't think everyone has seen it or even heard of Boroujerdi. Let me make it simple, the counter on the youtube footage showed it was viewed around 10,000 times. There are around 6 billion people in the world, so there is still way to go.

1. I think you misinterpreted my statement: "Haven't we seen this movie before?" I wasn't referring to Boroujerdi himself, but to how the opposition is gathering around one man that people aren't intimately familiar with. Remind you of anything?

2. I implore you to listen to the interviews Ahmadinejad did on public media, not profit-driven media like CNN. They ask exactly what you criticize (and rightfully so) Larry King for not asking.

3. It is not in the interest of Quakers to bring up such topics when their main goal is trying to foster religious tolerance and reconciliation.

1. Then you should rephrase your que like this 'Have we not seen this kind of movie before' the way you asked gave the impression taht you were referring specifically to that very film footage on youtube.

2. I was specifically referring to Larry King. If you say other media are criticising Larry King for not asking such questions then thats good.

3. Well if they can not even foster religious tolerance of another SHiite cleric then they are barking up the wrong tree.

Hi Every BodyFor Information about Ayatollah Kazemeyni Boroujerdi :The permanent wish of this liberal leader is develop the social justice and international understanding , extend international cooperation and deepening the theism and respect to human rights.

His story reminds me of the 18th century British theologian Joseph Butler who - like Boroujerdi - realized that the majority of people in England had become disillusioned with religion and turned against God.

The ayatollah understands how deep the wounds inflicted by the IRI have become. He knows people want jobs and food to serve their families, while the ruling religious elite - bunch of acclaimed moralists - havent delivered any of their [empty] promises. Boroujerdi has accepted that the consequence of this is a de-religionised society (and rightfully so).

More Iranians are becoming secular and atheist as time goes on. The mollahs should not be scourging the 'hurtful' secular rhetoric from the west for 'destroying' their religion - it is the mollahs themselves who will turn Iranians against religion, before anyone else can.

About Me

Follow Me on Twitter @potkazar
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Last time I was in Iran, was during the Islamic "cultural revolution". I hated what was taking place in front of my eyes.
Illiterate gangs of thugs attacking students and academics and telling them how a university must be run! Book stalls being attacked, with books torn up and burned.
I knew then that I had to do something to get rid of this scourge of clerics who had seized power in Iran.
My main objective in life is to help establish a secular democracy in Iran.
I believe the best way forward for Iran to be based on four pillars of Democracy, Secularism, Nationalism and Meritocracy.
Most countries that have adopted these principles have been prosperous, why shouldn't our people be one of them?